Ebenezer Meriam Letters on Onondaga Nation Education, 1852-1858
Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Meriam, Ebenezer, 1794-1864.
- Abstract:
- 12 letters to Ebenezer Meriam, pamphleteer and philanthropist, concerning his support for the schools for Oneida and Onondaga Nation children in Central New York
- Extent:
- 1 folder (SC)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Ebenezer Meriam Letters on Onondaga Nation Education,
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Ebenezer Meriam Letters on Onondaga Nation Education consists of twelve letters to Ebenezer Meriam. Eight are from Samuel J. May; the remainder are from Archibald Campbell, New York Deputy Secretary of State; E.W. Leavenworth, New York State Secretary's office; Charles E. Mix, Acting Commissioner for the Office of Indian Affairs; and J.D. Torry, missionary. The letters concern Meriam's support for a school for Oneida and Onondaga Nation children in Central New York.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Ebenezer Meriam (1794-1864) was a white New York meteorologist, pamphleteer, and philanthropist who contributed regularly to the schools for Oneida and Onondaga Nation children in Central New York.
Samuel J. May (1797-1871), a white graduate of Harvard University, a Unitarian clergyman, and social activist. Although his primary interest was in civil rights and particularly abolition, he also raised funds to help build a meeting house and school for the Onondaga Nation and arranged government funding for a teacher.
The Onondaga Nation School began as Onondaga Indian School around 1850, and under an agreement with New York State, it started as a one room schoolhouse on Kennedy Road on the far eastern border of the Nation. In 1910, the school relocated to a two-story house on the present site on route 11A. In 1940, a fire demolished the building, and a brick building was erected to take its place. While the school is exclusively for Onondaga Nation students, in 1954 the school entered into a contract with New York State to be part of the LaFayette Central School District. Although there have been disagreements between the Nation and LaFayette about school leadership and control over the curriculum, that partnership remains today.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchase, 2007.
- Arrangement:
-
Letters are arranged alphabetically by correspondent (by chance this also happens to be a chronological ordering).
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- New York State
Education, New York (State)
Indian children, North America.
Indians of North America, Cultural assimilation, New York (State)
Indians of North America, Education, Law and legislation.
Indians of North America, History, 19th century.
Indians, Treatment of, North America.
Oneida Indians, Education.
Onondaga Indians, Education.
Philanthropists, New York (State)
Educators.
Philanthropists.
Letters (correspondence) - Names:
- Onondaga Nation.
May, Samuel J. (Samuel Joseph), 1797-1871.
Meriam, Ebenezer, 1794-1864.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
- Terms of access:
-
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
- Preferred citation:
-
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Ebenezer Meriam Letters on Onondaga Nation Education,
- Location of this collection:
-
Special Collections Research CenterSyracuse University LibrariesBird Library, Room 600Syracuse, NY 13244, United States
- Contact:
- 315.443.2697scrc@syr.edu